Everything you need to know about Derek series two

From romance to Derek's dad to Kev's new "love nest", Ricky Gervais tells RadioTimes.com what to expect when we return to Broad Hill...

Fan of Derek? You're in luck. Series two is on the horizon, returning to our screens on 23 April for six brand new episodes. So far we have a trailer...

... and the promise of "new residents, additions to the staff and the welcome return of a few familiar faces". We wanted more, and more we got when we sat down for a chat with the show's creator Ricky Gervais. Here's everything we found out:

Derek's Dad

We caught a brief glimpse of him at the end of series one and it turns out we'll be seeing a lot more of Derek's dad this time around. But according to Gervais, the newest resident of Broad Hill Retirement Home is "far from being a sweet, old, broken man." Quite the opposite, it turns out. "He's still an old goat and he's trying to get off with all the old ladies. He drinks too much and says, 'Why are we going to bed at 10pm?' He's stirring it up and Derek's a little bit embarrassed and stressed. He takes out Tom's nan which is very awkward for Tom as well."

But far from squirming at elderly romance himself, Derek's creator is having plenty of fun introducing love to Broad Hill. "It's funny because it's sort of embarrassing for the younger people. You don't lose the quest for romance because you're eighty. The grandchildren are embarrassed and I love playing with that and flipping that coin a little bit."

Is romance on the cards...?

While his dad enjoys good luck with the ladies, the closest we've seen Derek come to romance is his semi-stalker, gormless Mary... until now. As seen in the trailer, Derek has been persuaded to try and woo the opposite sex. "Vicky suggests online dating," reveals Gervais," and Kev sets him up on Sweethearts Online and he starts dating. Not to give too much away, it's uplifting. It's very sweet and funny. I think the date is probably the funniest sketch. Or Kev testing out the caravan bed... (see below)

A new home

With a new season comes a new abode as Derek takes the dubious decision to move in with pungent Kev (played by David Earl). According to Gervais, "Tim's granddad gives them an old caravan which they've put in the car park and Kev and Derek move into it because they're lodging with Dougie (Karl Pilkington). It's a tiny little caravan and to the horror of Derek, Kev just wants it as a love nest. It's excruciating."

We can't wait. Now, any fans of Gervais's work – The Office, Extras – will be all-too-aware that he has a habit of wrapping up his shows after two series. But judging by his enthusiasm for the second series, we won't start worrying just yet:

"The second series is always the best one for me. You don't have to introduce people, you don't have to guide [the audience] so much. You can just have fun with the characters you've already established so you can hit the ground running and as a writer and a director, you can go further. There's more development. You don't have to go back and remind people and you know who the actors are and who you're writing for. The second series is more fun to write, certainly."

And one thing's for sure, Gervais's love of Derek certainly hasn't waned.

"I've never had an emotional reaction and connection like it. There's no edge, no pretention. What you see is what you get with Derek. He says what he's think and that's lovely to play – there's just not enough of that in this world. We seem to lose that when we're about eight or nine – the world hardens us to be as cynical as it is. To compete and not trust anyone and Derek's the opposite. I think Derek is probably the least controversial show I've ever done – it's sweet, it's honest, it's sincere."